Refrigerating apparatus



March 31, 1936. H, F, s n- REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Dec.30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR 1M BY {I I M W ATTORNEY March 31,1936.

Qan as H. F. SMITH REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 30, 19302 Sheets-Sheet 2 JllENTOR I E ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31,1936

' UNITED STATES 2,035,573 nnrarcnaarmc APPARATUS Harry F. Smith, Dayton,Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Application December 30, 1930, serial No.505,569

Renewed April 10, 1934 2 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularlyto refrigerating apparatus utilizing a plurality of refrigerant circuitsfor cooling a plurality of zones or compartments.

- One of the objects of thisinvention is toprovide an improvedrefrigerating apparatus adapted to refrigerate a plurality of coolingzones or compartments, and to arrange said apparatus in such a, mannerso as to maintain individual pre- 10 determined temperatures in saidzones or compartments.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanicalrefrigerating apparatus adapted to refrigerate a plurality of coolingzones 15 or compartments and to supply refrigerant to, at least, one ofsaid zones or compartments by percolatory-like lift.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following de- 20 scription, reference being had to theaccompanyving drawings, wherein a preferred form of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings; Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a refrigeratgigapparatus embodying features of this inven- Fig. 2 is a diagrammaticview of the refrigerating system employed for refrigerating theapparatus shown in l; and

- Fig. 3 is a side viewof a portion of the system shown in Fig. 2.

Ref rring to the drawings the numeral 20 designates in general arefrigerating cabinet which includes a cooling compartment which is alsoused 35 as a heat transfer receptacle designated 22, a

liquid cooling compartment 24 and a cooling compartment 26. The cabinet20 is commonly known as a soda fountain. The receptacle 22 is arrangedin the cabinet for maintaining frozen 4|) foods, such as ice creams, inthe frozen condition and is provided with a plurality of openings 28 forthe reception of food containers. The liquid cooling compartment 24 isadapted to contain a quantity of sweet water to be cooled, and'the 45compartment 26 is adapted for cooling the socalled sirup rail providedin soda fountain refrigerator cabinets.

A refrigerating system designated in general by the numeral 30 isconnected to the receptacle 22 50 in order to maintain the receptaclebelow a. predetermined temperature limit. In the chosen illustration thesystem includes the liquid cooling member or evaporator 32 of theflooded float controlled type similar to that shown in the pat- 55 entto R. G. Osborne No. 1,556,708, issued October 13, 1925, and arefrigerant --liquefying unit 35. The unit 35 includes the compressor36, motor 31, condenser '38 and receiver 39. The compressor withdrawsthe gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator 32 through thevapor conduit42, compresses the gaseous refrigerant and delivers it to the condenser38 wherein it is liquefied and from which it is delivered to thereceiver 39 which has a. supply conduit 44 connected therewith andleading to said evaporator. Anautomatic switch,

responsive to pressure in the conduit 42, is adapted to control thestarting and stopping of the motor 31. The receptacle 22 may be of anysuitable means for maintaining foods in the frozen condition and forpromoting the transfer of heat. As shown, the receptacle 22 includes atank 41 adapted to be filled with any suitable non-freezing liquid suchas calcium chloride brine or a solution of alcohol. The tanks 41 and 24are .provided with suitable insulation 50 which extends along all sides,top and bottom walls thereof and between the tank 41 and the compartment24.

The heat transfer receptacle 22 is provided with a plurality of heattransfer systems Y52 and 54 leading to a plurality of zones to berefrigerated, which may be the compartments 24 and 26. The heat transfersystem 52 includes a coiled evaporator 56. A suitable connection isprovided between the evaporator 56 and the heat transfer receptacle 22.This includes a coiled condenser '62. The heat transfer system 52 asshown comprises a closed refrigerating system in which is provided avolatile liquid refrigerant such as sulphur dioxide and includes theevaporator 56 wherein the liquid refrigerant is evap- 5 orated and fromwhence the gaseous refrigerant passes to the condenser 62. The condenser62 is surrounded'by a rectangular shaped housing 64 which is adapted tocontain a predetermined quantity of liquid refrigerant for condensingthe evaporated refrigerant in the coiled portion or condenser 62 of theheat transfer System52. The housing 64 receives liquid refrigerant fromthe evaporator 32 of the primary refrigerating system 30 through aconduit 66 and returns the evaporated refrigerant to the evaporator 32through a vapor conduit 61. The heat transfer system 54 is adapted tosup-' ply refrigeration to the compartment 26 for "cooling the syruprail of the soda fountain. This system includes an evaporator 10 whichcomprises a plurality of elongated loops 12 joined on one end to a vapormanifold 14 and on their opposite ends to a liquid refrigerant manifold16. The system 54 also includes a coiled conv denser 62 and the housingsystem through a liquid denser "located in a housing 19, the conde 16and the housing' 19 corresponding to the conuid refrigerant is suppliedthe evaporator 32 of the to the housing 'wfrom primary refrigeratingsupply conduit 8| and the gaseous refrigerant is returned to theevaporator32 through a vapor return conduit 83. The evaporatedrefrigerant from the. evaporator II in compartment 26 is condensed inthe condenser 16 whence the liquid refrigerant be supplied to theevaporator 16 in a manner about to be described.

- percolation,

the

the evaporator I6 by a percolatory-like shift, that L is, by a similaraction as that which takes place in the wellknown coflee percolator andso called which percolator-like lift action is herein meant to be theaction which takes place due to the boiling liquid in the supply conduit66 wherein thegas bubbles provide a lift to raise liquid to theevaporator 10.

The primary refrigerating system 32 is adapted to maintainapredetermined temperature range within the receptacle 22 by means of theflooded float controlled evaporator which is maintained between constanttemperature limits by control the switch 45 and thus maintainspredeterof mined constant temperature limits within the receptacle 22.The temperatures in the secondary systems 'or heat transfer systems 52and 54 are maintained within predeterminedlimits for refrigerating thecompartments 2| and 26 by providing temperature differential meansbetween the evaporators 56 and 32 and between the evaporators Ill trolthis differential a quantity .of gas, such as air, non-condensable attemperatures prevail,- ing in the secondary system secondary systems. Inorder to maintain a higher temperature 'in the compartment 26 which isadapted-to cool the syrup rail for the soda foun- 64 respectively. Liq-Vmeans is prov and 32. In order tocon-- is injected into the 4 tain thegas is injected into system 54 at a greatmaintain a higher tempera-' erpressure to thus ture in the evaporator I6 than the pressure ortemperature in the evaporator 56. Thus by ejecting air in the secondarysystems at different pressures the different temperatures will prevailin the compartments 24 and 26.

While the form of embodiment invention as herein disclosed, constitutesa preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might beadopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: v

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, means providing aplurality of. compartments to be cooled, a primary cooling elementdisposed in oneof said compartments, a

refrigerant circuit including as elements thereof a condenser, anevaporator disposed in a second compartment and connectionstherebetween, said condenser being located in heat transfer relationwith said primary cooling element and being in open communication withsaid evaporator of the present whereby condensation and evaporation ofre frigerant in said circuit takes place at substantially the samepressuregand a portion of said connections being exposed to atmosphereexteriorly of said compartments for overcoming the force of gravity ofrefrigerant in the circuit and to return liquid refrigerant collectingin said condenser to said evaporator. v 2. Refrigerating apparatuscomprising in combination, means providing a plurality of compartmentsto be cooled, a primary cooling element disposed in one of saidcompartments, a-

refrigerant circuit including as elements'thereof a condenser, anevaporator and con therebetween, said evamrator being posed in a secondcompartment on a higher plane than said condenser, said condenser beinglocated in heat transfer relation with said primary cooling element andbeing in open com'munipation with said evaporator whereby condensationand evaporation of refrigerant in said circuit takes place atsubstantially the same pressures, and a. portion of said connectionsbeing exposed to atmosphere exteriorlyof said compartments forovercoming the force of gravity of refrigerant in the goircuit and toreturn liquid refrigerant collecting in said condenser to saidevaporator.

HARRY F. SMITH.

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